August 10, 2017

DNA Sequencing Tools Lack Robust Protections Against Cybersecurity Risks

In first, UW team infects computer using synthetic DNA molecules Rapid improvement in DNA sequencing has sparked a proliferation of medical and genetic tests that promise to reveal everything from one’s ancestry to fitness levels to microorganisms that live in your gut. A new study from University of Washington researchers that analyzed the security hygiene […]

August 4, 2017

Diverse Voices: A How-To Guide for Creating More Inclusive Tech Policy Documents

All too often, policy development for emerging technology neglects under-represented populations. In response to this challenge, the UW Tech Policy Lab developed the Diverse Voices method in 2015. The method uses short, targeted conversations about emerging technology with “experiential experts” from under-represented groups to provide feedback on draft tech policy documents.

March 1, 2017

Driverless Seattle: How Cities Can Prepare For Automated Vehicles | Key Findings and Recommendations

“Driverless Seattle: How Cities Can Plan for Automated Vehicles,” is a new report from the Tech Policy Lab at the University of Washington, put together in partnership with Challenge Seattle, a private sector initiative led by regional CEOs, and the Mobility Innovation Center at the University of Washington. The advent of automated vehicles (AVs)—also known […]

February 28, 2017

Toys That Listen — CHI 2017

What do teddy bears, My Friend Cayla and Barbie have in common? They are all toys connected to the internet that can listen, overhearing what goes on in the home. Security breaches and the privacy challenges of these devices are regularly in the news. During the holiday season of 2015 Hello Barbie faced significant pushback […]

Driverless Seattle: How Cities Can Plan for Automated Vehicles

 Driverless Seattle: How the City Can Plan for Automated Vehicles New Report from the University of Washington’s Tech Policy Lab and the Mobility Innovation Center Touts Need for Readiness, Tackles Costs and Benefits of Automated Vehicles SEATTLE, Wash., Feb. 28, 2017—Automated vehicles (AVs) are coming to Seattle, and now is the time for government officials […]

December 1, 2016

Global Summit on Grand Challenges for Tech Policy

Today we have an opportunity to put in place global strategies for making progress on grand challenges for tech policy. Well-selected grand challenges convey a sense of vision and push a field forward. At the same time, they must be tractable—that is, consist of actual projects of reasonable scale and ambition—for meaningful progress to be […]

November 17, 2016

Director Calo Testifies on Augmented Reality Before U.S. Senate

Lab Faculty Co-Director, Ryan Calo, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation at a hearing exploring augmented reality.

October 21, 2016

Knight Foundation Demo Day – Peter Ney

This past July, Lab member Peter Ney presented his work on SeaGlass, a cell-site simulator detection system, at the Knight Foundation Prototype Demo Day in Miami. In the below post, Peter discusses his experience at the event. In February, the Knight Foundation awarded the Prototype Grant to the SeaGlass team (colead by Ian Smith and […]

July 18, 2016

Kids & Connected Toys

This week Emily McReynolds will be speaking at the Future of Privacy Forum event Kids & the Connected Home. One of the Tech Policy Lab’s current projects focuses on the privacy and security implications of connected toys, Toys That Listen. Follow the discussion on Twitter at #InternetofToys. Hello Barbie, Amazon Echo, and the home robot […]

July 17, 2016

PokemonGO and Policy for Augmented Reality Applications

With widespread adoption, PokemonGO has brought the novel policy considerations of augmented reality to a wide audience. Over the last week, members of the Lab have highlighted some of these issues. Co-Director Calo, noted the novel nature of a game that requires players to physically travel and potentially actionable nuisance created by the developers (Verge). In an article in New Scientist, Emily McReynolds highlighted the benefits of including a diverse set of stakeholders in the design of these applications.